Lint pick-up device



Nov. 17, 1964 M. w. BILLS 1.1m: PICK-UP DEVICE Filed April 24, 1963 INVENTOR.

United states Patent 3,156,938 LENT Plat-UP DEVTCE Marius W. Bills, 16220 hehoolcraft, Detroit, Mich. Filed Apr. 24, 1963, Ser. No. 275,337 2 Claims. (Cl. 15-104) This invention relates to lint pick-up devices and particularly to such devices utilizing pressure-sensitive tape for picking up dust, lint and the like from articles of clothing,

It is an object of the invention to provide a lint-pick-up device which will efficiently pick up lint and the like from clothing; which can be manufactured and sold at low cost; which is easy to operate; and which can be operated with a minimum of effort and without injury to the user.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational View of the lint pick-up device showing it in use.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the lint pick-up device.

FIG. 3 is a perspective View of the lint pick-up device.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the manner in which a used portion of the tape on the lint pick-up device is removed to expose a new portion for use.

Referring to the drawings, the lint pick-up device embodying the invention comprises a roller including a cylinder 11 of cardboard or the like, the ends of which are closed by metal caps 12 formed with peripheral flanges 13 that define grooves into which the ends of the cylinder 11 extend. Flanges 13 are crimped over the ends of cylinder 11. A length of pressure-sensitive tape 13 is wound continuously on the exterior of the cylinder portion 11 with the pressure-sensitive surface facing outwardly. The inner end of the length 13 is fastened to the cylinder 11 by suitable means such as gluing or stapling.

A length of wire 14 including a straight axle portion 15 is provided with the axle portion 15 extending through openings 16, 17 in the caps 12 to rotatably mount the roller E0 on the axle portion 15. The end of the wire at one end of the axle portion 15 is reversely bent as at 18 to define a closed loop with the free end of the wire bent around the axle portion 15 as at 19. The free end of the bent portion 13 of the wire extends adjacent the axle portion and engages the roller 10 to prevent axially inward movement of the roller. A sheet metal cap nut 20 on the other free end of the axle portion 15, in cooperation with the portion 19 axially locates the roller 1d on the axle portion 15.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the loop 18 forms a handle which lies entirely on one radial side of the axle portion 15 and thereby provides a space, defined as S in FIG. 1, into which the fingers can extend when the pick-up device is used against a fabric laid on a flat surface F (FIG. 1). In this manner, the lint pick-up device can be effectively operated without injury to the fingers of the user.

In use, the lint pick-up device may be rolled against a fabric either on the user or on a flat surface and the pressure-sensitive surface of the tape, which may be a paper tape with a pressure-sensitive adhesive thereon, will pick up lint, dust and other loose materials from the fabric.

When the exterior of the exposed portion of the tape becomes fully contaminated with lint and the like, the end of the tape can be grasped to pull off the used exposed portion and provide an unused exposed portion. As shown in FIG. 3, the end of the tape is preferably folded over as at 21 to define a grasping edge which can be used to grasp the end of the tape without usual tearing that might occur in the normal handling of pressure-sensitive tape of the coated paper tape.

When the used length of tape is pulled outwardly, the end of the used length is torn as shown in FIG. 4 by first folding along a line 22 and then on the second line 23 'ice which produces a new folding edge corresponding to the folding edge 21. The exposed length L of the tape is then torn along the fold line 23. In this manner, a clean exposed surface is provided along a straight line and simultaneously a new pull-off tab T is produced.

it can thus be seen that there has been provided a lint pick-up device which efliciently picks up lint particles and the like from material; which can be easily used Withoht injury to the fingers of the user; which can be manufactured at low cost; and which can be readily operated to provide a new length of tape.

1 claim:

1. A lint pick-up device comprising a roller,

a length of pressure-sensitive tape wound around the periphery of the roller with the pressure-sensitive surface facing outwardly,

a wire comprising an axle portion extending through said roller and forming a shaft on which the roller is rotatably mounted,

means on the free end of said axle portion engaging said roller and preventing movement of said roller axially outwardly,

said wire being bent adjacent the end opposite said free end to form a closed loop handle adjacent the end of the roller,

the free end of said bent portion of said wire extending adjacent the axle portion and engaging said roller to prevent axially inward movement of said roller,

said handle having substantially all portions thereof extending on one radial side of said shaft.

2. A lint pick-up device comprising a cylindrical roller comprising an open-ended cylinder,

end caps formed with peripheral flanges defining grooves in which the ends of said cylinder extend,

a length of pressure-sensitive tape wound around the periphery of the roller with the pressure-sensitive surface facing outwardly,

a wire comprising an axle portion extending through said roller forming a shaft on which the roller is rotatably mounted,

means on the free end of said axle portion engaging said roller and preventing movement of said roller axially outwardly,

said wire being bent adjacent the end opposite said free end to form a closed loop handle adjacent the end of the roller,

the free end of said bent portion of said wire extending adjacent the axle portion and engaging said roller to prevent axially inward movement of said roller,

said handle having substantially all portions thereof extending on one radial side of said shaft.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 680,942 8/01 Schleuter -26 878,268 2/08 Bayer 43-116 1,902,024 3/33 Gerlach. 2,149,869 3/39 Ringel 225-1 2,515,524 7/50 Manzel 128-57 2,624,060 1/53 McKenzie 15-104 2,645,845 7/53 Vengris 15-230 X 2,658,217 11/53 Green 15-104 2,751,618 6/56 Pruitt 15-230 X 2,807,039 9/57 Butler 15-104 2,835,326 5/58 Hayhurst et al. 225-1 FOREIGN PATENTS 14,201 1909 Great Britain. 555,814 4/58 Canada.

CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner. 

1. A LINT PICK-UP DEVICE COMPRISING A ROLLER, A LENGTH OF PRESSURE-SENSITIVE TAPE WOUND AROUND THE PERIPHERY OF THE ROLLER WITH THE PRESSURE-SENSITIVE SURFACE FACING OUTWARDLY, A WIRE COMPRISING AN AXLE PORTION EXTENDING THOURGH SAID ROLLER AND FORMING A SHAFT ON WHICH THE ROLLER IS ROTATABLY MOUNTED, MEANS ON THE FREE END OF SAID AXLE PORTION ENGAGING SAID ROLLER AND PREVENTING MOVEMENT OF SAID ROLLER IS AXIALLY OUTWARDLY, SAID WIRE BEING BENT ADJACENT THE END OPPOSITE SAID FREE END TO FORM A CLOSED LOOP HANDLE ADJACENT THE END OF THE ROLLER, THE FREE END OF SAID BENT PORTION OF SAID WIRE EXTENDING ADJACENT THE AXLE PORTION AND ENGAGING SAID ROLLER TO PREVENT AXIALLY INWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID ROLLER, SAID HANDLE HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY ALL PORTIONS THEREOF EXTENDING ON ONE RADIAL SIDE OF SAID SHAFT. 